Essentials

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which has better deals in 2023?

By Lily Rose

Edited By Leslie Gornstein

Updated on: November 24, 2023 / 6:52 AM CST / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

November is the sweet spot for deals. Black Friday is in full swing, and with it, killer deals on TVs, PS5 and Nintendo gaming favorites, Apple Watches and more. Between now and and Cyber Monday, you can snag must-have items on sale whether you're shopping for Christmas gifts, treating yourself, upgrading home appliances and furniture, or grabbing tech essentials. But what's the deal with Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday? Are the savings really any better on one of these days?

When it comes to Black Friday vs Cyber Monday, there are a few things you need to know. The shopping experts at CBS Essentials are here to break down the two shopping holidays and tell you where you can score the best deals now for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

What's the difference between Cyber Monday and Black Friday?

Black Friday is a shopping holiday that falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday is Nov. 24. Cyber Monday is a shopping holiday that falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday is on Nov. 27.

The concept of Black Friday has been around for a while. In the past, Black Friday deals were only available in retail stores, starting at a designated time. This was before the online shopping boom; shoppers would wake up early to line up outside popular retailers such as Target, Walmart and Best Buy for home, toy and tech deals.

In 2005, online shopping became more popular, and Cyber Monday was born. The deals event featured online-only deals on a variety of must-have products, especially tech and electronics.

Now that we live in a time when many people have internet access, shoppers can access Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on their respective days, both in stores and online starting at midnight. While Cyber Monday used to focus heavily on tech, it now includes discounts on the same variety of items you'll find on sale for Black Friday.

What deals are better on Black Friday?

You can find some amazing deals on kitchen, tech, home, luggage and more on Black Friday 2023. We also know popular retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Samsung, will have Black Friday offerings this year. Stay up to date with the latest early Black Friday deals by reading our coverage of the must-see sales on CBS Essentials. We'll also be covering all the best deals on Black Friday, Nov. 24, from all your favorite retailers.

Shop some of the must-see Black Friday deals below.

Best Black Friday appliance deals

The Samsung Bespoke refrigerator with FamilyHub+ is $2,000 off right now. The best thing about this fridge is its massive Family Hub touch screen that's double the size of the brand's original smart refrigerator touch screen.

Samsung's touch screen refrigerators all feature Samsung's Family Hub, with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant built-in. The smart fridge component can connect with, and be used to control your phone, computer, TV, smart doorbell, Nest thermostat and Samsung home appliances. It can share photos, stream music and more. The Family Hub feature lets you see inside your fridge from anywhere (via your connected device), search recipes based on what you have on hand, plan weekly meals and even send cooking instructions to your Samsung smart oven.

The smart tech can also help you save energy thanks to it's new energy-saving tech, Samsung's SmartThings Energy. The smart program allows you to see and manage your compatible Samsung appliance energy use and offers ways to save energy using AI Energy Mode. The new mode will even automatically optimize appliance settings to reduce the amount of energy consumed.

You can shop the best Black Friday major appliance deals here.

$2,999 at Samsung

Best Black Friday luggage deals

Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable Spinner Wheel Luggage — Amazon

The Rockland Melbourne 20-inch expandable carry-on spinner is 53% off for Black Friday.

It's made out of ABS, a lightweight and durable plastic. It features multidirectional double spinner wheels with telescoping handles, along with interior zip and mesh pockets. Choose from multiple colors. Price varies by color.

"I was able to fit a lot more than I thought in this little suitcase," an Amazon reviewer shares. "It's easy to maneuver and even with the extension added to it it's small enough to fit airplanes' carry-on requirements."

Shop the best Black Friday luggage deals here.

$65 at Amazon

Best Black Friday furniture deals

Upgrade your dining table before Thanksgiving with this early Black Friday furniture deal from Pottery Barn. This rustic farmhouse table is ideal for smaller dining areas and offers a clean, polished look with an oak veneer.

The Ashbury extending dining table is on sale now for $539 (regularly $899).

If you're looking for more furniture deals like this, you can shop our roundup of the best Black Friday furniture deals here.

$539 at Pottery Barn

Best Black Friday kitchen deals

This 6.3-quart Chefman digital air fryer does more than just get chicken fingers nice and crispy. It can also be used as a rotisserie spit, oven and dehydrator.

It comes with cooking accessories that include removable racks, a rotisserie basket, a rotisserie spit, a drip tray and a retrieval tool.

It's currently 44% off for Black Friday.

Shop more of the best Black Friday air fryer deals here.

$84 at Amazon

Best Black Friday Apple deals

The sleek and subtle Apple AirPods Pro 2 are a fantastic option for any listener, especially anyone who appreciates a lengthy battery life. You get a whopping 30 hours of listening time with these, thanks to their included charging case.

As far as what they can offer over the original AirPods Pro? Their upgraded wireless chip for starters, as well as improved active noise cancellation. They're an overall upgrade from the previous model in every way, and right now you can scoop them up for a great price.

This Black Friday AirPods deal is similar to the ones we typically tend to see on this model, but that's nothing to sneeze at. The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) earbuds usually cost $249, but for right now you can get them at Amazon or Walmart for just $190.

You can shop the best Black Friday Apple deals here.

$190 at Amazon

Best Black Friday TV deals

This QLED TV is a fantastic-looking display that boasts beautiful color, with 100% color volume with Quantum Dot technology that keeps the TV awash with over a billion colors. It has nearly zero light reflection, no matter if you're watching during the day or at night.

You can mount this incredibly thin TV flush against a wall and use Art Mode to turn it into a piece of art whenever the TV is not otherwise in use. Our expert TV reviewers love "The Frame." It's also the single most popular TV amongst our readers.

Right now, Amazon has the 75-inch version of this popular and unique TV on sale for 20% off. It's price is now $1,598. Over at Walmart you can find this TV on sale in its other sizes (32", 43", 50" and 85"). For example, the 65-inch version can be purchased right now for $1,449, which is $548 off.

Shop more of the best Black Friday TV deals here.

$1,449 (65-inch) at Walmart

$1,598 (75-inch) at Amazon

Best Black Friday smartwatch deals

Walmart has cut the price of the current model Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatch to just $359, a savings of $70. This is a rare price cut for a current model Apple Watch.

This particular version of the watch comes in the 45mm casing size, in midnight black with the matching Sport Band. It's the GPS-only version of the watch. Several other Apple Watch colors, sizes and configurations are also on sale, so head over to Walmart now to take advantage of this time-sensitive savings opportunity.

(You can also save on the Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm) -- it's just $329 at Walmart)

Shop even more of the top Apple Black Friday deals, here.

$359 at Walmart

Best Black Friday Lego deals

A terrific gift for kids ages 12 and up, the Lego Jurassic Park Visitor Center is 31% off for Black Friday at Amazon. This set includes six Lego minifigures (Dr. Ellie Sattler, Dr. Alan Grant, Ray Arnold, Dr. Henry Wu, Lex Murphy and Tim Murphy) plus brick-built, posable T. rex and Velociraptor toy figures and a T. rex dino skeleton figure.

The visitor center includes an entrance hall with a trigger to break the "When dinosaurs ruled the Earth" banner, a kitchen/living area and a lab, all divided by semi-transparent screens with dinosaur-themed graphics

This set is available at Amazon for $90 (reduced from $130).

Shop even more Black Friday Lego deals here.

$90 at Amazon

What deals are better on Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday originally emphasized online deals, especially in tech and electronics. But nowadays, the distinction between Cyber Monday and Black Friday has blurred, with many deals overlapping and extending from Black Friday into Cyber Monday. While there are many Black Friday deals available now, you may be hard-pressed to find available Cyber Monday discounts this early.

Stay up to date on the latest Cyber Monday discounts by following our CBS Essentials deals coverage.

Which day should you shop on: Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Historically, we've found the deals on Black Friday -- especially those limited-time deals that happen early in the morning on Friday -- are better than the deals you'll find on Cyber Monday. In many cases, Cyber Monday pricing matches Black Friday pricing.

The good news is that November, in general, tends to be the best month for deals on just about everything worth buying. So whether you're diving into Black Friday deals or Cyber Monday sales, there's no wrong day to score big savings.

One deciding factor may be whether you plan to shop in-store or online. While you can find many Black Friday savings both online and in your favorite brick-and-mortar stores, the majority of Cyber Monday discounts are typically online. But even some Black Friday deals, like those at Walmart's Black Friday sale, can be shopped early if you buy online (and even earlier if you're a Walmart+ member).